Albana is the most prestigious indigenous variety of Romagna. It was always grown by the counts Codronchi, the former owners of the land where Fattoria Monticino stands. To obtain this wine during harvest we perform a careful selection of grapes. The grapes are harvested by hand, in small boxes , usually in mid-September dependent upon the season. Only when the cluster is perfectly mature it is harvested in multiple steps, depending on the state of maturation.

The origins of the Albana grape are so remote as to be confused with the legend. The first reporter to talk about the origins was Pliny the Elder, but also Cato and Pliny the Younger made mention of it. They praised Albana as a great wine. Legend has it that Galla Placidia, daughter of the Emperor Thoedosius, while passing through a small town in Romagna, was offered a glass of Albana. The princess was delightedly exclaimed, ” Not so humbly you should drink , but ‘berti in gold ‘ to pay homage to your sweetness.” So , from then on , the village was called Bertinoro and Albana was only drunk in precious cups. Also Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was a great admirer of Albana.

Beyond of the legend, the first historical information about Albana di Romagna, came from the famous Treaty of Agriculture written by the Bolognese Pier de ‘ Crescenzi in 1200. Here is, in fact, the first description of Albana di Romagna and its production area, ”wine powerful and noble in flavor .. and this grape variety is better throughout the Romagna ”.

In 1987, Albana di Romagna earned the distinction of being the first Italian white wine to receive the DOCG status, the most prestigious certification in which the high-quality wines can aspire in Italy. The Albana di Romagna is the flagship of the Romagna area, the native white grape variety most representative and it is cultivated exclusively in Romagna.